The continuous production of glass articles in the form of sheets or panels and tubes is well known. The industry has continually searched for new apparatus and methods which are more economical or produce a higher quality product.
However, none of the prior art methods are capable of producing a glass sheet for example, having one glass composition on one side thereof and a different, distinct glass composition on the other side. Further, no prior art methods are capable of forming double sheet glass panels or windows in a continuous method wherein each glass panel is simultaneously formed having an air space divider and closed end portions.
Further, some of the most widely used methods of producing glass tubes require relatively expensive feeder apparatus which are necessary to maintain the proper temperature of the glass batch entering the forming station to produce high quality glass articles.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus which offers significant advantages and enhanced capabilities for producing such glass articles in an economical manner.